Janet Zarowitz, a certified dietitian-nutritionist, based in Ossining, shed some more light on the biological effects of diet. Zarowitz holds a Master of Science degree and did her training at Cornell and Columbia Universities. She is a practicing CDN of 25 years and for the past 10 she has been involved with integrative and functional nutrition.

Functional nutrition is when nutrition is used to address the underlying issues in the body that might cause sickness or other symptoms, she explains.

“For example, people get headaches so they may take pain relievers for the headache,” she says, “but that addresses the symptoms. It may make them feel better short term but it doesn’t address why they may be getting the migraine. Is it a food sensitivity? A hormone imbalance? A digestive problem? Address the problem, so ideally you don’t get the migraines anymore, or you get them less.”

Many symptoms she sees in her clients she attributes to the food supply.

“Anecdotally, that’s been my experience. I believe that our food supply has diminished our soils,” says Zarowitz. “They are not as rich in nutrients anymore. Some of the pesticides that are used actually bind minerals in the soil so if they’re binding [those nutrients] we don’t get them.”

Genetically modified foods have had their DNA manipulated in order to demonstrate certain traits such as delayed ripening or thicker skin to withstand long journeys. According to the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science these types of modifications can increase productivity and yield for farmers.

“There are two main categories of genetically modified crops,” Zarowitz says. “Some of them are made to resist pesticides and some of them are genetically modified to actually produce insecticides.” While she said she can’t speak to the economic benefits of the practice, she personally believes gentically modified foods affect human health.

“When you eat those foods it also affects the bacteria in your gut,” she says. “It’s very antibacterial and changes the balance of the bacteria in your gut.”

While digestive issues are common among her older clients, she said that she sees more and more people in their 20s and 30s for digestive issues. While she can’t positively say it’s the sole cause, she believes pesticides are a contributing factor.

“If you think about it we’re a living organism and we interface with the outside world. Other animals, air and bacteria in the soil— everything. What’s our exposure to the outside world? Our skin and our gut.Think about it — if you open your mouth you’re totally ex- posed to the outside world.”